This invention relates to the manufacture of a reinforced concrete panel, and installation of a uniquely prestressed, high strength/to weight modular reinforced concrete wall from the panels which is rapid to manufacture and install. The panel is primarily used for the construction of buildings or the reinforcement of soil or the deflection of flood waters.
Floodwaters annually take a toll on life, health, property, and well being in the United States of America. As human population values continue to increase in areas known or unappreciated as being part of a flood plane, injuries of the same will continue. Current methods of flood water protection in the form of property elevation, levee building, or particularly, wall construction are often difficult to initiate when implementation or maintenance costs are taken into account. These costs are often staggering due to the large amount of equipment, machinery, materials, labor and time involved to cause a project of this type to come to its fruition. This is especially true if there is a short time frame allotted for the construction or installation of the same to circumvent flooding which although may not be common for a particular geographical area, it has been predicted to be in imminent danger of such an occurrence happening there as a result of actions by man, nature, or a combination of both.
One aspect of the invention relates to a reinforced structural panel which comprises a concrete body having a pretensioned metallic chain link unit embedded therein and extending across a substantial portion of the concrete body. The panel can be used to construct a building or a soil retaining wall, or a flood dyke for example.
Another aspect of the invention relates to an apparatus for forming a reinforced structural concrete panel. The apparatus comprises a frame which includes side walls and a backing wall forming a cavity. The frame is pivotable about a horizontal axis for being pivoted between horizontal and vertical orientations. The cavity is upwardly open when the frame is in a horizontal orientation and is adapted to receive poured concrete for forming a concrete panel. The backing wall is adapted to support a chain link unit and a concrete body when the frame is in a horizontal orientation. At least two of the side walls of the frame have holes formed therethrough for enabling wires to pass from the cavity to the exterior to hold a chain link unit in a pretensioned state. The stretching mechanism is removably mounted on the frame when the frame is in a horizontal orientation. The stretching mechanism includes tensioning members disposed in the cavity and adapted to engage a chain link unit. The stretching mechanism also includes a displacement device for displacing the tensioning members relative to the frame for pretensioning a chain link unit prior to the pouring of concrete into the cavity.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of forming a reinforced structural concrete panel comprising the steps of:
A. positioning a metallic chain link unit in a cavity formed by a frame;
B. applying tensioning forces to the chain link unit for stretching and pretensioning the chain link unit;
C. pouring concrete into the cavity while maintaining the chain link unit in a pretensioned state, to embed the chain link unit in the concrete;
D. allowing the concrete to harden; and
E. releasing the tensioning forces from the chain link unit.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of forming an earth retaining wall comprising the steps of:
A. digging a trench in the ground;
B. anchoring panel-retaining members in the trench;
C. lowering reinforced concrete panels into the trench between respective pairs of panel-retaining members such that opposite vertical edges of each panel become connected to the respective pair of panel-retaining members by a tongue-and-socket coupling; and
D. pouring concrete into the trench to embed the panels and the panel-retaining members therein.
The floodwater deflection wall manufacturing and installation system comprise various components, and methodologies. During the manufacturing phase various platforms, forms, molds, tools, materials, and techniques are utilized in the production of panels and posts.
A skeletal frame composed of rebar is welded. This framework is suspended within the post casting mold. The rebar extends outside of the posts cast bottom surface plane, unless this is not necessary such as being incorporated into a cast post which is to be pile driven.
A marriage band is shipped to the job site with each post. This is a welded unit utilizing rebar its function is described later in the installation process description.
Outer casting border mold frames are clamped to a tilt up panel casting platform. A galvanized woven wire mesh with is placed in the form. This woven wire is more commonly known as chain link fence fabric. Rebar is inserted into the end sections which run at the top and bottom of the panel left to right within the panel in relationship to an upright panel. The same type of rebar components may be inserted in the same manner within the mesh at intervals proceeding down the panel""s vertical plane. The woven wire mesh is then pulled in tension at bottom panel station until the mesh has at this point become suspended under tension. This will give the reinforcement mediums an added element in maintaining structural strength. The individual uninterrupted wire strands which make up the woven wire proceed from left to right. They have 45 degree bends up and down as they traverse to the right. This provides the panel""s concrete several reinforcement benefits. The wire is not at only one uniform plane, in reference to x, y, and z coordinates it has several lines of reinforcement amplification. It being pre-stressed with the uninterrupted wire run proceeding from left to right in relationship to an upright panel allows the hardened concrete a degree of pressure resistance with flexibility, yet will retain its binary compounds which are in the form of portland cement and aggregates in various embodiments from falling out of a state of cohesion. The incorporation rebar into this weave provides an additional redundant static reinforcement. In conjunction with these, rebar is laid on a vertical plane in relationship to an erected panel at the left and right edges, center, and left and right {fraction (1/3)}rd measurements on top of the woven wire mesh. This is a redundant factor which is used for additional reinforcement in a positive fashion. The concrete is now poured, and the surface finished smoothly.
A quarter radius void bar is placed at the left, and right side of the forms in relationship to an upright panel in the wet concrete. These void bars run from the top to the bottom of the mold at their respective placements. The purpose of these two voids will be described at the installation process description once the panel has cured the forms and molds are stripped, tie wires cut, the tilt up casting platform elevated to an upright position, the panel slides down on the anchor/panel resting stop, a forklift picks it up and it is loaded out to the job site.
At the installation location shot points and grades are established. At predetermined intervals holes are bored to a predetermined depth below established grade. Upon completion of the weekly production quota of hole, a chain trencher commonly known as a xe2x80x9cDitch witchxe2x80x9d with a cutting certain width of will trench a line center of the hole lines to a predetermined depth below grade. Upon completion of the trenching phase adjustable site leveled prepostioning post holding template rack stands are laid out and adjusted. Then the prepositioning post holding template rack is lowered onto the stands, adjusted, and clamped down in place. The posts are then lowered in their respective holes arid held at a predetermined height by a height retention stand, unless they are pile driven into the ground. The rebar which protrudes beyond the bottom perimeter of the xe2x80x9cHxe2x80x9d shaped post is pushed down below surface of the bottom of the bore holes. The marriage band is then lowered to a point that it encompasses the bottom length of the xe2x80x9cHxe2x80x9d post. Cement is poured downhole to within close proximity of the bottom of the panel holding slot in the xe2x80x9cHxe2x80x9d post. The rebar protruding from the post to below the borehole subsurface and the marriage band serves as a reinforcement measure to bind the precast post in place with the newly poured concrete.
Upon the curing of the newly poured concrete downhole, the post holding templates will be removed.
Wood forms will be inserted into the slots of the xe2x80x9cHxe2x80x9d posts and rest on the anchoring pour which was previously done. A second pour of concrete will be initiated down hole on one side of the xe2x80x9cHxe2x80x9d post to the ground surface. The concrete will dry, and the forms will be removed.
The panels will be slid down the slots on the sides of the xe2x80x9cHxe2x80x9d post. The fig. panels will have grout pumped down the quarter radius void cast in the panel and resting within the confines of the slots of the cast posts. This will provide a static surface movement area between the xe2x80x9cHxe2x80x9d post, and the panel. Upon completion of this phase grout, or cement will be pumped down the void between concrete panel and the trench walls subsurface. The remainder of the bore hole void on the side of the, xe2x80x9cHxe2x80x9d post will be filled with grout.